How to survive an apocalypse

It’s the second week of August, which means I am working on a different story. Being a Model is an intriguing novel, and I already miss writing for it. For this week it’s all about my story, Her War (I changed the title from The Future). This book is about a group of people determined to stop a ten-year global war. Every country and every culture is fighting, but what exactly are they fighting for? No one seems to understand how or why World War three started. They assumed nuclear weapons were the cause, but that was only a distraction for what was going on between the governments. Dominic and Sienna team up with the President’s daughter looking for a man who lived in Dominic’s home before him. Unfortunately, their search is interrupted when they get kidnapped. In captivity, they find a group confused as they are about the war breaking apart countries and families. Soon, a truth no one saw coming hits them at full force.

I ended up changing the topic for today to surviving an apocalypse. The book isn’t about an apocalypse, but some of the information on how to survive one may be helpful. My characters are living in the time of war and there isn’t much left to the world. Cities and towns are ruined, food is scarce, and people are dying. How do they survive? What are some things to help them adjust to this live? These are questions I will answer.

The first thing you need is food. This is a no-brainer. You may or may not have non-perishable food at home so scavenging for food is important. By scavenging, I mean going through abandoned homes or stores and taking any food left. If you live in a place with a lot of animals, you can go hunting. Even if you don’t live near moose or deer, a raccoon should suffice. If eating animals isn’t your thing, try growing a garden or gathering vegetables and fruit from a garden, if they aren’t ruined. Also, lots and lots of water. Medicine is also important if there are sick people in a group or if someone gets injured. Anything from bandages to antibiotics is very useful. Clothes are a big one too, depending on what climate you live in. In colder areas, it’s best to stack up on jackets, long-sleeves, and boots. In warmer climates, you may want to cover up too so you don't expose too much skin in the sun.

Now on to shelter and defense. Finding a secure place to live is the most important thing. For my characters in the beginning, they are staying in the basement of Dominic’s home. The top part of his house caved in with debris everywhere. His basement is a pretty safe and secure place to live, but they may move again. Once you’ve depleted the resources in a specific place, it’s better to leave and find another home. In Dominic’s area, they do give out food every week, so a place like that, you don't need to go anywhere unless they run out of food. Having a supply of knives, guns, or even tools is helpful. You can use it to hunt or defend your group in anyone tries to rob you. Learning some defense moves wouldn’t hurt either… well for your opponent it will. The point it, you must be ready for anything, even the “impossible”.

Last, but not least, configuring a productive team. By “team” I mean your family, friends, or people you meet. There are three things that would create a productive team: set up a system, give everyone a purpose, have a consensus for every decision. Everyone handles something. Whether it’s checking the inventory, hunting, or building. Whatever it is, giving people, a purpose helps to drive the team. When there is a system set in place, things get done in an orderly fashion. Less mistakes and more productivity.

Something I forgot to mention is entertainment. With all the seriousness, there should be some fun. A time for people to forget about the troubles they are in. Music and games are fantastic ways to relax. You can tell stories by the fire or create a makeshift band.

If you have all these things, you have a better chance of survival. I watched a lot of gameplays for the Walking Dead, and even though I don’t believe zombies are real, there are real life lessons in the game. It looks like a pretty accurate portrayal of what could happen if the world were to fall to zombies.

This Saturday, the topic is about relationships between countries in war.

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